Best Electric Ute for Towing in Australia 2026: BYD Shark 6 vs Ford Ranger PHEV vs GWM Cannon
- Tim Bond
- 9 hours ago
- 5 min read
Key Take Aways - Electric & PHEV Ute Towing - 2026 Snapshot
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You don't care about 0–100km times. You care whether a ute can drag a 2.8-tonne tandem-axle van up the range to the job site, or back the tinnie down the ramp on a Sunday without the battery gauge doing something weird. The "electric ute" conversation has been dominated by tech reviewers who've never hooked up a trailer in their life - so here's the version written for people who actually tow for a living, or for fun, most weekends. We've pulled together what's genuinely on sale or confirmed for delivery in Australia in 2026, how much weight each one can legally drag, and where pure battery power still falls short of a tank of diesel. Here's our assessment on the best electric utes for towing in Australia.
Why pure-electric utes still lose the towing fight
Physics doesn't care about marketing. A loaded caravan or box trailer is a giant rolling brick pushing through the air, and that drag scales hard with speed. On a pure BEV ute, that means your battery — already smaller than a diesel tank's energy equivalent — drains dramatically faster the moment you hook up a load and hit highway speed. There's currently no full-BEV dual-cab on sale in Australia that can match the 3.5-tonne towing benchmark set by diesel utes, which is exactly why plug-in hybrids have taken over this end of the market.
The 2026 contenders - best electric ute for towing - Australia
BYD Shark 6 Performance - the headline act this year. BYD's original Shark 6 launched with a 2,500kg cap that frustrated serious tow rigs. The Performance variant, which landed in May 2026 with a bigger 2.0-litre turbo and 350kW combined output, finally hits the 3,500kg mark — putting it level with the Ranger and Cannon Alpha for the first time. The cheaper Dynamic and Premium grades, plus the new Cab-Chassis, stay at 2,500kg. All grades share the same 29.58kWh Blade battery and 6.6kW V2L, so you can run tools or camping gear straight off the tray.
Ford Ranger PHEV (Sport Hybrid) - the steady hand. It carries over the full 3,500kg towing capacity of the diesel Ranger, with the added bonus of EV-mode torque for low-speed manoeuvring and a genuinely useful Pro Power Onboard outlet setup. Recent driveaway pricing cuts (from around $62,000) have made it considerably more competitive against the Shark 6.
GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV - already on sale at 3,500kg, with a more affordable mainstream Cannon PHEV variant confirmed for mid-2026 that could undercut the Shark 6 on price while keeping the same towing figure, thanks to GWM's Hi4-T mechanical driveline.
What actually happens when you tow
Once the battery's depleted on any of these PHEVs, you're back to running on the petrol engine alone - and fuel use climbs noticeably under load, especially off-road or up steep grades. That's not a flaw, it's the whole point of the hybrid design: short EV-only runs to the tip or the worksite for free, with the petrol engine as the safety net for the genuinely long, heavy hauls rural and regional Australia demands.
For local towing - boat to the ramp, horse float to the local show - a PHEV in EV mode is smooth, quiet, and noticeably cheaper to run than the diesel equivalent.
For interstate van towing, don't expect range claims to survive contact with a loaded trailer and a headwind.
Heat, batteries, and trailers
A common worry: does towing cook the battery? In the 2026 models, no - manufacturers have specifically engineered for this. BYD highlights upgraded liquid cooling on the Shark 6 specifically to manage thermal load during heavy hauling, and the electric motors themselves handle sustained load without drama. The bigger limiting factor is always energy capacity, not heat.
Model | Braked Towing | Power | Battery/Tech | From (Driveaway) |
BYD Shark 6 Performance | 3,500kg | 350kW / 700Nm | 29.58kWh, 6.6kW V2L | TBC |
BYD Shark 6 Premium | 2,500kg | 321kW / 650Nm | 29.58kWh, 6.6kW V2L | ~$57,900 (before on-roads) |
BYD Shark 6 Cab-Chassis | 2,500kg | 321kW / 650Nm | 29.58kWh, 6.6kW V2L | TBC |
Ford Ranger PHEV Sport Hybrid | 3,500kg | 207kW/697Nm | 1.8kWh, 6.9kW Pro Power Onboard | ~$66,000 |
GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV | 3,500kg | 300kW/750Nm | 37.1kWh, Hi4-T driveline | ~$51,490 (current deals) |
Pricing and specs current as of mid-2026 and subject to change - always confirm with the dealer before ordering.
The Buy/Avoid Verdict
2026 is the year the 3.5-tonne club stopped being a one-horse race. For the first time, three plug-in utes - Shark 6 Performance, Ranger PHEV, and Cannon Alpha - sit on equal towing footing with the diesel benchmark. That parity changes the decision: it's no longer "which PHEV can actually tow my load," it's "which one suits how I drive when I'm not towing," because on paper they're now matched.
Best for rural towing and dealer support: Ford Ranger PHEV. It earns its keep through familiarity and the widest service network if you're already Ford-loyal or need rural servicing access.
Best for off-road feel with PHEV running costs: GWM Cannon Alpha. Its mechanical Hi4-T driveline suits buyers who want a traditional 4WD feel without giving up plug-in economics.
Best value pick to watch: BYD Shark 6 Performance. It's the one to watch given BYD's pricing pattern on the rest of the range, but confirm final pricing before you bank on it being the cheapest of the three.
Best for light, local towing under 2.5 tonnes: BYD Shark 6 Premium or Dynamic. Don't pay for the Performance jump if your towing genuinely never exceeds 2.5 tonnes and stays local — the standard grades do the job for less.
FAQs
Can a BYD Shark 6 tow 3.5 tonnes?
Only the new Shark 6 Performance variant, launched May 2026, reaches 3,500kg braked towing. The Premium, Dynamic and Cab-Chassis grades are capped at 2,500kg.
Does towing destroy EV or PHEV battery life?
No - 2026 models are engineered with improved liquid cooling specifically for sustained heavy-load towing. Energy consumption (and therefore range) is the real limitation, not battery health.
Is the Ford Ranger PHEV as capable as the diesel Ranger for towing?
Yes, the Ranger PHEV retains the full 3,500kg towing capacity of its diesel siblings, with the added benefit of EV-mode torque and a Pro Power Onboard outlet.
Will a full-electric (BEV) ute match these towing figures soon?
Not in the immediate term in Australia. Manufacturers are focused on PHEV drivetrains for heavy towing duty-cycles while battery energy density and fast-charging infrastructure catch up.